Holding camouflaged defensive positions within the jungles of northern Okinawa, U.S. Marines readied to repel an assault from an opposing pressure aiming to grab the island throughout a fight rehearsal, dubbed the “Counter Assault Exercise,” from May 9 to May 12, 2022.
The Counter Assault Exercise, which befell amid days of unrelenting rain storms, was a force-on pressure coaching evolution between Marines with third Battalion, 2nd Marines and 1st Battalion, third Marines. Marines from each battalions utilized the chance to strengthen their skills to grab or defend key maritime terrain from an aggressor pressure and to function throughout a few of the most difficult terrain of the Indo-Pacific area.
“One of the great advantages of training in the Northern Training Area of the Okinawa jungle is that it gives us an opportunity to rehearse our long-range, low-emissions communications…” Lt. Col. Charles Nash, third Battalion, 2nd Marines commanding officer
The train began with the Marines of three/2 performing as a part of stand-in forces responding to a regional menace by seizing key terrain by a joint vertical assault and instantly getting ready to defend it from a counter assault by an adversary of numerically superior pressure. The plan known as for the Marines insert through MV-22B Ospreys together with Marine Corps and Navy helicopter help, demonstrating the flexibility to maneuver forces quickly from island-to-island or from ship-to-shore.
“One of the key outcomes of this exercise is that we were able to validate and refine our capabilities and our techniques to both employ Marines as stand-in forces in the Western Pacific, as well as rely on joint assets for aviation support and communications,” stated Lt. Col. Charles Nash, commanding officer of three/2.
The train pressured 3/2 to insert right into a dense double-canopy jungle, determine advantageous defensive positions, and swiftly reply to and efficiently defend an advance from an opposing pressure. It additionally supplied an extra problem of sustaining communications in a troublesome setting whereas using signature administration strategies.
“One of the nice benefits of coaching within the Northern Training Area of the Okinawa jungle is that it provides us a chance to rehearse our long-range, low-emissions communications… to masks each our bodily signature and our electromagnetic signatures,” acknowledged Nash.
The coaching specializing in the lethality of small, distributed items of Marines working as stand-in forces within the first island chain.
“One of the things we enjoy about training in northern Okinawa,” Nash continued, “is that this environment resembles much of the terrain within the first island chain… through the course of rehearsals and very tough realistic training, we are able to not just survive but thrive in and compete in this environment.”